NC-F Vector
History Created as part of a project to advance mobile suit technology for combat, the NC-F Vector was designed to test the effectiveness of remote weaponry in comparison to current day mobile suits. Decades before the war remote weaponry was as common as mobile suits themselves however eventually mobile suits began demonstrating performance higher than most control systems could handle, leading to heavy reliance on the pilot to coordinate them. Most humans were incapable of this level of spatial awareness and thus remote weapons were phased out of usage. However with the emergance of Evolvers, humans who have evolved and gained the required spatial awareness as a result, effective usage of remote weapons was becoming possible again. Before the Transcendor Gundam was completed, Ace Strike piloted the Vector to improve his ability to control bits and funnels. During this time the mobile suit utilized an early version of the Evolve Control System designed entirely for telepathic funnel/bit control. After the Adaptoid Conflict ownership of the mobile suit shifted to Unity for further development. Technology and Design The NC-F Vector was a testbed for potential future weaponry. While formidible on it's own, the technologies it tested made the machine highly lethal with used by a pilot with sufficient ability. The mobile suit boasted high mobility, using numerous vernier boosters to allow sudden shifts in position and fluid transitions between maneuvers. Despite being a member of the NC Series mobile suits, the Vector lacked both the variable beam rifle and the THD. The reason being that both the G Driver and Twin Hole Drives were expensive to manufacture and as the NC-F had an overall low power requirement, it was deemed unneccesary for a new THD to be constructed. The absence of the variable beam rifle was a result of this. Observer Eye A modified version of the observer eye used by the NC-1.5 Gundam. The eye of the NC-F was designed to supply full tactical data on enemy positions and movements. The eye also alerted the pilot to dangers outside of their range of perception, such as attacks from behind. However the most important function of the eye was the role it served with the Funnel Control System. Funnel Control System As the name implies, the Funnel Control System was designed to operate the remote weaponry of the mobile suit. In the case of the NC-F, this meant the funnels. By using tactical data supplied by the observer eye, the control system was able to make rapid calculations and coordinate the funnels accordingly. However the system required coordination with the pilot for the funnels to be most effective. While initially this would have made the entire mobile suit pointless, the observer eye allowed the control system to coordinate with the mobile suit's movements to a limited degree, greatly reducing reliance on the pilot. Weaponry *'Beam Rifle:' A standard issue beam rifle typically seen on a GM. *'Beam Sabers:' Two beam sabers that could alter the length and intensity of their blade. They were stored in the forearms for quick access to the hands. *'Gundam Shield:' A medium sized shield that was anti-beam coated. The shield was constructed out of compressed regenium and was designed to disperse kinetic force to the surrounding area. *'Beam Vulcan Cannons:' Standard issue vulcan cannons designed to shoot down missiles. These were mounted on the mobile suit's forehead. *'Funnels:' The signature weapons of the mobile suit. When inactive, the funnels were stored on the back disguised as a heat shield. However when active the funnels snapped into a flat U-shape and fly around at high speeds. Each funnel was capable of generating a powerful beam roughly between medium and high output, the strength of which depends on the remaining power in the funnels. They could also redirect the beams of other funnels, greatly improving their usefulness in battle. Each funnel was powered by a compact battery that also doubled as the weapons thrusters and connector. When the funnels energy was near depletion they could reattach themselves to the mobile suit for recharge. The NC-F was equipped with six funnels, however another set could be mounted onto the mobile suit, giving it a total of twelve funnels overall. *'Laser Bits:' An optional weapon for the NC-F. The laser bits were small high speed pods equipped with three beam emitters. These were smaller and much faster than the funnels, however they were also weaker in terms of beam strength. The beams of the laser bits could be redirected by the funnels. The mobile suit could carry four of these.